&CO

In 1975, Johnny Thompson was working as an actor in a play called Who Was that Lady? It was there that he would meet the young and beautiful Pamela Hayes, who was cast as the leading lady. A year later, the two were married. Two years later, a last-minute performance at the world-famous Magic Castle would lead to Pamela joining her husband on stage as his assistant for the first time. The chemistry between the two was immediately obvious, and the legendary Tomsoni & Co. was born.

The act featured original magic, and even an original musical score written by Johnny. It also included some classics of magic, such as the egg bag and torn and restored newspaper, as only Johnny could perform them. His natural and flawlessly smooth dove productions are universally recognized as quite possibly the best in magic, and were a major inspiration to Master Magician Lance Burton in the creation of his own dove act.

Even though Johnny was performing the tricks, Pam’s contribution to the act cannot be overstated. From getting some of the biggest laughs to assisting in the tricks in ways the audience never sees, she was vital to its success. The Academy of Magical Arts recognized both Johnny and Pam as “Best Stage Magicians”.

The Tomsoni & Co. act worked so well not only because Johnny and Pam were great magicians, but also because they were great actors. Pam’s experience in television, film and stage acting enabled her to add an incredible dimension to the act that complimented Johnny’s comedic style flawlessly. “Suddenly, I wasn’t carrying the whole ball of wax”, Johnny said. “We were a team!” Over 40 years later, their act is still celebrated as one of the best in the history of magic.